Charles Lamb

Charles Lamb by William Hazlitt

Charles Lamb memorial, Giltspur Street, City of London (cropped)

Miss Kelly Entertains

Charles Lamb's Cottage

Charles Lamb's Grave

Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his essays of Elia and for the children's book Tales from Shakespeare, co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb. Lamb was born in London, and he is considered one of the most beloved and charming of English writers. His essays, often autobiographical and personal, blend wit and sentiment in a style that is both individual and reflective of the Romantic period in which he lived.

Early Life

Charles Lamb was born in the Inner Temple, a professional association for barristers and judges, in London, to John Lamb, a lawyer's clerk, and Elizabeth Field. He was the youngest of three children. Lamb's education began at the age of seven at the Christ's Hospital, a charity school founded in the 16th century. Here, he formed a lifelong friendship with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who would become a leading poet of the Romantic movement. Despite suffering from a stutter, Lamb excelled in his studies, particularly in English literature.

Career

After leaving school at age 14, Lamb found employment as a clerk at the South Sea House, but he is most famously associated with his thirty-three years of work as a clerk at the East India Company. The monotony and routine of his occupation contrasted sharply with his imaginative and literary life, which he pursued outside of office hours.

Lamb's literary career began with the publication of poems under the name of Poems on Various Subjects in 1796. However, it was his essays that garnered him the most acclaim. Starting in 1820, Lamb began publishing essays under the pseudonym Elia for The London Magazine, which were later collected as Essays of Elia (1823) and The Last Essays of Elia (1833). These essays, often nostalgic, humorous, and reflective, are considered masterpieces of English prose.

Personal Life

Charles Lamb's personal life was marked by tragedy and responsibility. His sister, Mary Lamb, suffered from mental illness and, in a fit of madness, killed their mother in 1796. Charles took on the responsibility for Mary's care for the rest of his life, a commitment that precluded him from marrying and starting a family of his own. Despite these challenges, Charles and Mary shared a close bond, collaborating on several works, including the popular Tales from Shakespeare (1807), which aimed to introduce children to the plays of William Shakespeare.

Legacy

Charles Lamb died of erysipelas, a bacterial skin infection, in 1834, at the age of 59. He left behind a legacy as a beloved essayist and a significant figure in English literature. His works continue to be read and appreciated for their humor, warmth, and insight into the human condition. Lamb's essays and letters offer a window into the life and times of the Romantic period, and his influence can be seen in the works of later writers and essayists.